Going for the green

Published 12:29 am Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Whether they’re already rooted in gardening or just branching out to a new hobby, tree fans will have the opportunity next week to purchase a variety beautiful trees for just $1 each.

The Covington County Forestry Planning Committee’s annual tree sale will be Wed., Feb. 4, through Fri., Feb. 6, from 3-5 p.m. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center, located on the south bypass in Andalusia.

Chuck Simon, county extension coordinator, said the yearly event is a popular one and serves a variety of needs for the area.

“This is a little fund-raising activity for the forestry planning commission that allows them to do community programs throughout the year,” Simon said. “It’s also a project that has the goal of bringing several different hardwoods and shrubs into the area to benefit our wildlife.

“And, of course, it’s also a great opportunity to help make this county more beautiful.”

The trees will be available at the east side entrance of the USDA service center, rather than at the front entrance as was the case in previous years. Each tree or shrubbery is $1 and there is no limit to the number of trees that can be purchased.

“We get these trees from several different nurseries and try to pick out ones that we feel will work in this area,” Simon said. “Some of them are smaller trees, some are more dominant and taller. We’re also going to have smaller undershrubbery and trees that will provide food for wildlife.”

Simon said the list of trees varies from year to year, but decisions about which trees to offer are based partially on popularity.

“There are always some types that are popular every year,” he said. “The dogwoods, sycamores and sawtooth oaks are very popular. And last year we sold a lot of chinquapins, so we’re bringing those back and will have a few more available this year.”

Trees available at the sale will include: green ash, baldcypress, river birch, boxelder, buttonbush, Catawba, chinquapin, cottonwood, Southern crabapple, flowering dogwood, red-steam dogwood, fringetree, Florida maple, red maple, silver maple, blackjack oak, cherrybark oak, chestnut oak, chinquapin oak, live oak, Northern red oak, sawtooth oak, shumard oak, swamp chestnut oak, water oak, white oak, willow oak, common persimmon, American plum, Chickasaw plum, yellow poplar, redbud, sycamore and black willow.

For more information, call the Covington County Extension Office at 222-1125.